Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-26

| SOAAA~
| friend to make confidant of. But, alas,
| the sufferer from the darts of the rosy god
| like the victim of prosaic toothache, obtains
no sympathy from his kind.
| Time wore on, and the posters an
nounced the last six nights of Mademoi-
selle's engagement. He had tried his best
| to procure an introduction, but without
success. the friends and associates of his
| past life being widely outside of theatrical
circles. He found out, however, where she
! lodged and the hour at which she usually
took her daily promenade. In vain did he
| follow her at a respectful distance in the
| fond hope that some drunken man, run
away horse, or other street casualty might
afford the means of an impromptu intro
duction; unfortunately. the pedestrians
| a manner remarkably sedate and correct
At last, when almost reduced to despair, an
| ingenious thought occurred to him. TIE
talented actress occasionally gave morning
rotations and readings. He was pos
sessed of considerable literary ability. and
what was to hinder him from composing
a suitable piece for recitation, sending it to
| her for approval, and by that means OBJ
tanning personal interview Being favor
ably impressed with the feasibility of the
| scheme, he set to work, and composed a
| hundred-line poem in blank verse, in
which the torments Of unrequitted love
were very forcibly if not elegantly por-
trayed. With trembling hand, he dropped
this in the letter box, accompanied by q
polite note craving her acceptance of the
offering.
Who shall attempt to describe the thirty
six ereary hours of suspense that elapsed
before reply came, in polite little
epistle redolent of patchouli, thanking
| Mr.. Mackinnon for his kind present, which
she would be glad TO use on the first suit
able occasion She was, however, OF
opinion that, from an Evolutionary point OF
view, certain alterations would tend to
make it much more effective. Would Mr..
Mackinnon honor Mademoiselle by calling
! on her at her residence at noon the follow
| ing day, when said alterations could be dis
cussed? The poor fellow almost cried as
he again and again pressed the precious
missive to his lips and it was some time
before his spirits were sufficiently Gained
down to admit of his indting coherent
reply. Hope now lent her roseate hues to
our hero's love prospects, and it was with
difficulty he compelled himself to avail.
the slow progress of the hands on the dial
of his watch till they were conjoined over
the happy hour appointed for his interview
with her who held his life's happiness at
her sole command.
Arrived at his destination ne timidly rang
the door bell, and on giving the servant his
card was informed the lady was sat
homen On entering the drawing room,
he beheld Mademoiselle reclining in a
graceful attitude on a low ottoman. She
wore neqlige costume OF some sort of soft.
warm, cream colored material, which har-
monized delightfully."- with her clear, trans
parent olive complexion, and displayed the
symmetry of her exquisitely formed figure
to great advantage. She wore no iewelry;
her only ornament was beautiful Marshal
MacMahon rose, the deep crimson petals of
which formed charming contrast to the
raven tress on which they reposed There
were two other occupants of the room; and
it was easy to see from their lat home ;"
air. that they were not merely visitors. One
was brisk little lady with a pleasant
good humored expression. who. it would
be safe to guess, had seen at least fifty sum-
mers. The other was tall, stately girl of
not more than seventeen or eighteen. She
had evidently been practising at the piano,
which lay open, with the score of a new
opera on the music-holder. Had Hector's
mind not been SO fully engrossed, he prob
ably would have noticed considerable re-
semblance between her and the fair object
of his devotions The principal difference
lay in the color of the hair, the complexion
and the stature. The young lady was
pronounced blonde, possessing large azure
orbs of almost dreamy softness, and a
wealth of light, reddish-golden hair care
lesSly twisted and fastened III coil at the
back of the head.
As Hector advanced, Mademoiselle rose
gracefully from her seat and, glancing at
L. Il i -
tones which had so enthralled him in the
Good morning, SIR Pray be seated
Holding ont her hand, he had the brief
precious delight of pressing it for second
in his trembling palm. Now, you needn't
leave the ROOM" she said, addressing her
two companions. This is the gentleman
who did me the honor OF sending me the
poem entitled Amor in Mors.' Permit
me to introduce you to my good friend
Mrs. Eskell; ard TO Mile. Andersen, my
niece
The introductions being over, Hector re-
snmed his seat. He never felt so en-
barrassed in the whole course of his life
How fondlv had he rehearsed in his mind
the many brilliant tender speeches he
would give utterance to on this occasion.
Now that the wished-for opportunity had
say. however, that he did not contemplate
the presence of third parties at the inter-
view. Still, their presence should not have
tongue-tied him as it did-he, the glibbest
debater and the best elocutionist in the
college.
Seeing his embarrassment, the lady came
to his relief We'll, Mr.. Mackinnon, /
am very much pleased with your poem,
and think, with few slight alterations,
it might make a very effective recitation.
Do you not think, though, the title is little
too lugubrious? Could you not substitute
some other word for Mors? Just reflect
Fancy me dying every night for the past
fortnight as Juliet 1t is really too bad
of the good folks of your city to insist on
my manager making me repeat night after
night part which | have begun really to
detest."
"Oh, Mademoiselle. do not say that, .
cried Hector +" Ah, if you but knew the
delightful thrill you send through the au-
dience in the balcony scene-and-and--
the tears you cause them 10 shed when the
unfortunate heroine-Shakespeare' great
est creation"
Shakespeare's greatest fddlestick ~ she
replied, laughing merrily. What people
see in her I'm sure / don't know To my
mind she's forward young chit, that
would have been much better employed in
mending Papa Capnlet's hose and helping
her mother to keep house than philander-
ing with her Romeo. But about Amor in
Mors' Don't you think, now, you
could make it just the tiniest little bit
funny? do so long to get out of this con-
tinued round of ove-making, murder and
suicide"
Could he believe his ears? Was this
cynical, matter of-fact woman identical
with the fair embodiment of transcen-
dental, ethereal love, on whose accents he
had hung with enraptured delight for the
past few nights? No, it could not be; there
must be some strange mistake. Yet when
her mobile features were for a moment in
repose, there he beheld the same deep,
lustrous, unbelievable eyes the same
sweet, innocent mouth, with its half child
like pouting lips. He vas bewildered, and